Love and Hardship
by Ensign Ellie
Summary: Lynnette Wright lives in post-war Philadelphia, now the capital of a nation called "The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania". She and her girlfriend Alexis Clark live like what most Wastelanders would deem a fantasy. In reality, it's just the human race bouncing back. However, they're going to soon realize what it actually means to be starving and afraid.
1. Chapter 1

_**I stand in a dark, empty abyss. I am sweating profusely and looking around frantically. I finally make out something in the distance. It becomes more clear over a few seconds.**_

 _ **"Oh my God."I whisper, trying my best not to pass out.**_

 _ **Philadelphia is on fire! I hear and see vertibirds bombing my home city; the Comcast Building collapses into a pile of rubble. I try to run forward, but I can't. I find myself frozen in place.**_

 _ **"It's all over now."says a calm, Southern voice.**_

 _ **"Winters."I spit.**_

 _ **"Thought you wouldn't see me again?"**_

 _ **"That is none of your concern."**_

 _ **He chuckles, circling me before finally looking straight at me."You know,"he says."I cannot wait to get my hands on the Mona Lisa."**_

 _ **"You know that won't happen. The Commonwealth is stronger and better than your little Enclave."I coerce.**_

 _ **"Getting feisty now, are we?"**_

 _ **I clench my fists."Just tell me why you're here!"**_

 _ **He laughs again. He really is a fucking loon. But, he soon stops when he pulls a plasma pistol on me.**_

 _ **"Time for you to see the pearly gates, little missy."**_

 _ **Before I can respond, he pulls the trigger.**_

I jolt awake from my nightmare. I try to control my breathing so it isn't rapid, however it takes me a full minute. My first thoughts are to see what time it is, so I look to my alarm clock on the nightstand. Four o'clock. Great. I look to the person sleeping next to me, and thank goodness I didn't wake her. Alexis Clark is her name. She's been my girlfriend since we were in the eighth grade. We're both eighteen years old and live in our own house in Bridesburg. I get comfortable again, laying on my right side. I look at Alexis' adorable face before closing my eyes, drifting off into dreamland.

My eyes flutter open to the sound of birds chirping. A bit of sunlight is shining through a small crack in the purple curtains. I sit up, stretching my arms while yawning. I notice that Alexis is already awake, cause she isn't next to me and I smell food. I grab my glasses from the nightstand and put them on. Now, I need to get up to find a good outfit to wear for the day. A bunch of t-shirts and sweat pants are taking over the closet, I notice. I rummage through the endless selection of hanged clothes, and find one of my t-shirts with a cute little kitten on it. I pick out a pair of sweat pants, because why not? The smell of pork roll is enticing me to go like the wind.

I undress from my white and navy blue plaid pajamas, throwing the shirt and bottoms over by the hamper. I change my undergarments as well, knowing that they're a day old. I search the dresser for some deodorant first, since it's important to smell nice.

"Aha!"I nearly shout, having found my deodorant stick.

Our dresser is a mess. No time to get into that right now. I put the stuff under my armpits, placing it back on the dresser when I'm done. I get dressed as fast as I can put the clothes on. I look into the mirror to see how my hair looks. I frown. I definitely need to brush it, so I get my hairbrush and begin the agonizing process. One of my qualities that people seem to love is my long, blonde hair. It reaches the middle of my back, just about. My hair is now not frizzy, so I go pull out a pair of socks. I sit down on the bed to put them on.

Getting dressed is a tedious process, in my opinion. But I guess the time is worth looking well groomed enough to socialize. I go out into the hallway and make a right to go walk down the stairs. This part of Bridesburg is fantastic, I should mention. We live on Richmond street where the houses have small lawns and decent sized backyards. A few minutes away is a park we sometimes walk through. I can now fully smell the aroma of eggs and pork roll as I walk downstairs. I am probably the worst cook to ever exist, so Alexis takes care of our meals. When we don't order out, that is.

"Morning, Lynn."Alexis says from the kitchen.

"I see you're up early."I say, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

"Early bird catches the worm."

I smile at her."That so? Any other wise words of wisdom?"

"Go sit your butt down."she says, still cooking."Brekkie should be done soon."

I go to our dining room table and sit in one of the chairs. The table and chairs are made of mahogany. They're incredibly beautiful. Anyways, Alexis is one of the most important people in my life. She's insanely gorgeous inside and out. She's Caucasian like me, but her skin isn't as pale as mine. Soon enough, Alexis brings in two plates of eggs mixed with pork roll.

"You know,"Alexis says, setting a plate in front of me."I've been hearing you wake up in the middle of the night. Anything you'd like to talk about?"

Of course she already knows _._ I take a deep breath."I've been having these nightmares lately."I say, nerves starting to kick in.

"What are they about?"she questions, sitting down next to me.

"You of course remember Colonel Winters?"

"How could I forget that slimy coward?"

"Well, I always have the same dream. Him coming back and killing me while Philadelphia burns to the ground."

Alexis crosses her arms."Let's get one thing straight: There's no chance in Hell that he can ever gain enough manpower to take on our military."she turns to stare me in the eyes."Secondly, he'd never get the chance to go near you. You're fine, okay?"

I slowly nod."I don't know why I've been thinking like this recently. Could be the news...or I'm becoming paranoid."

Alexis shrugs."Now, I think we should eat before it gets cold and talk about less depressing things."

"I like the sound of that."I say as I begin to eat.

Alexis' cooking is amazing, even if it is just simple stuff like eggs. We talk about what we should do for the day, and agree that it's been awhile since we last visited the art museum. Last time we went was two years ago with my parents and her dad. After we're finished, I offer to wash the dishes as a sign of my gratitude. It'll only take a few minutes, anyways. Alexis is sitting on the couch with her blue and white high tops on. That's a type of shoe, which I didn't know for awhile. I own a pair of black and white sneakers. Alexis says I should switch up my colors, since I've been getting the same kind for the past six years. Maybe she's right; I don't know. Anyways, I grab my wallet from the coffee table before sitting down next to her to put on my shoes.

"What should we do after the museum?"she asks, looking to me."Wanna go to Geno's?"

"Sure."I reply, craving a cheesesteak."Who's buying?"

"You treated me last time, so I'll cover it."

And with that, we're off. I lock the door behind us. We walk down the street and see old Mr. Kenway in his wife's garden tending to the roses.

"Good morning, sir!"I say as we walk by.

He looks up with a warm smile."Ah hello girls!"he beams, rubbing the dirt off of his hands.

"How's your wife?"Alexis asks.

"She's quite alright. She seems to be getting better everyday."

"That's great. Take care, sir."

"Good bye, girls."He resumes his duty of keeping the flowers alive for his wife.

Alexis and I soon cross the street and wait at the trolley stop. Two businessmen are talking on those bricklike phones that came out three years ago. They've really changed the way people can communicate with each other. It's easy to use and it saves time for people who work in the city. Speaking of Philly, its style is one of my top ten favorite things about the city. Think of...Victorian London with a pinch of modernity. So, like, the roads are made of cobblestone, but there're skyscrapers and ambulances to go along with it. It's unique; every city in our nation has its own identity.

It takes a short amount of time for the trolley to finally show up. We step on after the businessmen. Alexis covers our fare and we take our seats in the front. I take the window seat, as I love looking out at the city as it goes by. I can't help but hear nearby conversations.

"Jimmy, when's the game again?" "Suzy, I told you to sit with your legs closed!" "Donna's a real cunt, if you ask me."

So many people, so many words, and so many points of view. Taking the time to just...stop and listen can show you all of the different types of cultures and perspectives. Alexis, the angel that she is, holds my hand and runs her finger along my palm. I love her.

It takes about a half hour for us to reach our stop. The renovated museum is gorgeous in the morning sunlight; the white marble seems to be shining like a beacon. Alexis and I hold hands as we stroll over to the statue of Rocky, also known as the Italian Stallion, in his boxing outfit and gloves raised in the air.

"Remember how we watched that movie all the time in the vault?"Alexis asks, seeming nostalgic.

"Yeah."I respond."Those were the days."

We make our way up the stairs, still holding hands along the way. Before the doors there is a marble statue of Julius Caesar greeting all those who visit. He is wearing his Roman armor you see him wear in the textbooks, and has his arm half way up. His hand has three fingers open, the pinky and ring finger closed. He is looking at this hand, yearning for something. You could tell by the look in his eyes. Perhaps it was power. Or the thirst for knowledge. Who knows what it was? By the way, it is a recently made statue since the _very_ old ones are either inside museums or storage in the vault. I look deep within the statue's eyes. I almost immediately snap out of the mini trance and look at Alexis, who was also looking into Caesar's eyes.

"Ready to head inside?"I ask, which makes her to snap back to reality.

"Yepperdoodles."she says. I smile at her.

We head inside knowing what awaits us.


	2. Chapter 2

We take in our surroundings; residents of the city and tourists from around the nation buzzing about. I look up the stairs to see the statue of Diana, bow drawn and one foot lifted. A few seconds goes by when Alexis shakes my shoulder.

"You wanna go check out the modern art first?"she asks, gesturing with her thumb to our left.

"Ummmm...yeah, sure."I reply.

We make our way to the gallery of modern and contemporary art. Contemporary art, I should mention real quick, is art that was painted, sculpted, et cetera during our time...so I guess since the mid 2250's. Anyways, we first see a painting depicting the Annexation of Maryland, as the title says. It shows a battle between soldiers of the Commonwealth and raiders. We won, as you can guess. We move on to the next one, which is a simple turkey on a farm. The rest vary from portraits of important people in our society, to animals and plants...you name it.

A more unique one, I suppose you can call it, is a portrait of two wastelanders. A man and a woman looking a bit dirty have rifles slung across their shoulders. Their outfits are a complete disaster as well...by my standards, at least. I look down at the plaque to see who painted it.

 _Two Wastelanders in gear, named Patrick and Lisa  
Painted by Alexander Bobienski, on the 16th of July, 2267  
_

"Hey, Lex."I ask, turning my head to Alexis.

"Hm?"

"You think the two people in the painting are still alive?"I ask out of the blue.

Alexis sighs and shrugs."Who knows, really? Could be dead or alive out there."

Time to change the subject."Shall we move on to the more exciting galleries?"I suggest.

Alexis nods."Cannot wait to walk some more..."I can tell she's being sarcastic.

We stride on over to the European galleries, which are my absolute favorite. Besides paintings and statues, they also hold cabinets, pots, tables and other objects like those. The first painting we see is _The Cardsharps_ by Caravaggio. The one thing I always forget is the cards the guy on the right is hiding behind his back. Looks like a five of hearts and a four of clubs. The guy in the background looks at the well dressed boy on the left with a surprised look. Probably has a good hand of cards.

The next ones are _Head of Christ_ and _The Nightwatch_ by Rembrandt. Another Caravaggio is after that, _The Denial of Saint Peter._ As we go on, we see paintings such as _Starry Night, Sunflowers,_ and a self portrait by van Gogh, _Liberty Leading the People_ by Eugène Delacroix, _Lady with an Ermine_ and _The Mona Lisa,_ by Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci's works are in a special room in the European Galleries. _The Mona Lisa_ gets its own room within that one. There is also _The Baptism of Christ_ by da Vinci and his pupil Andrea del Verrocchio. Another piece we see is _Rubens Peale With a Geranium,_ by Rembrandt Peale _..._ not the Dutch Rembrandt.

I'm always in a state of awe when I stare at these paintings. I find it amazing that such a place can hold all of these cultural treasures. One of the final paintings we see is a portrait of Christian IX of Denmark, by Hans Olrik. He looks kind of cool. I suppose I should describe the statues we saw real quick. There's always a pattern in museums here: two or three paintings followed by a statue or two. The first statue we see is _The Thinker_ by Auguste Rodin. To me, the statue shows how mankind is always in thought. Even in such times of crisis, people are still thinking about the positives and negatives of life in the big and small cities. You could also say it represents the curiosity of man. There are two other Rodins, _The Kiss_ and _The Three Shades._ We see a statue of Augustus Caesar and other Roman leaders, also the _Venus de Milo_ , _Laocoön and His Sons_ , _Moses_ by Michelangelo and his _Statue of David_ , and a statue of Mary with baby Jesus.

The American and Asian galleries are similar in pattern. The Asian galleries have more vases and whatnot, though. Probably one of the most iconic paintings here besides Mona is _American Gothic_ by Grant Wood. I notice a lot of US presidents in this gallery, such as a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt. I do recall that the palace where the president lives has a few paintings of US presidents. Anyways, the Asian galleries have Japanese scroll paintings, such as _Three Beauties of the Present Day_ by Kitagawa Utamaro, and a couple different statues of religious figures like Buddha. Long story short, there's a lot of good stuff from all over. Egypt, Russia, Brazil, you name a country that no longer exists, we probably have something from it.

Alexis and I exit the museum, both weary from walking for so long. But it was worth it. Doing anything with her is worth it to me.

"Ah, man..."Alexis yawns."Ready for lunch?"

"You betcha."I reply, feeling famished.

We go to the trolley stop, and just in time, too. It pulled up a few seconds after we got there. We gotta get off at S 9th street, where Geno's is at. It doesn't take that long, thank goodness. A girl's gotta eat. We cross the street from the stop to the famous restaurant most residents know of. We walk in, and are immediately greeted by the man himself.

"Hey, hey! If it ain't two of my favorite people in town!"Geno grins, arms outspread.

We both smile at the Ghoul."Hiya, Geno."I say."Is our table available?"

He stares at us in disbelief, his hands on his hips."Is it available?! It always is for you two! After what you girls did for me, how could it not be?"

He always has to bring that up...we sort of helped him advertise his business. Not too many people were fond of Ghouls serving food at the time.

"So, go sit down, talk, have some laughs. A waiter will be with you shortly."he says, walking off to greet another customer.

As expected, we listen to him and go find our table. Alexis and I talk about TV for about a minute until a waiter arrives to take our order.

"I'll have a Dr. Pepper and a cheesesteak with mayonnaise, mushrooms, and onions."I say, and have said dozens of times before.

"Same thing except I want a Cherry Dr. Pepper."Alexis says."Oh, and we'll share an order of onion rings."

"I'll bring you your drinks shortly."The man assures, stepping off to where I assume the soda machine is.

He didn't lie; only a couple minutes pass and he brings our drinks. I immediately put a straw in the glass and drink a bit of the soda. Alexis and I chit chat while we wait, and it's mainly about what we were talking about before. Our food comes, and I could not be happier. We eat and talk somewhat, but not much. Doesn't take us long to eat; it was only around twelve minutes. Alexis covers the bill AND tip, which is very sweet of her. We decide to take a cab-the carriage version-to a park we always went in when we were in high school. Everyday after classes, we sat on a bench and just held each other close. Our families didn't know about our relationship yet, and we weren't sure how they'd react. So we spent as much time alone together as we could. Of course, they know by now and everyone is okay with it.

The ride there is a bit bumpy, but that's expected from a carriage. It still looks as beautiful as it did five years ago. This particular park, I should mention real quick, is in North Philly. My parents live near here, so we chose this place to come to so Alexis could walk me home. She's a real romantic at heart, though she doesn't show it much. Anyways, we lock arms as we walk down the main path. We find the bench is still there, which is beyond great. We sit down, looking around at our surroundings.

"This place hasn't changed a bit."Alexis smiles at the familiar scenery.

"Beautiful as always."I reply, looking up at the sky. It really is a nice day.

Alexis and I sit close to each other for awhile in silence, taking in the natural atmosphere of the park. It's around one thirty, and Alexis has this 'amazing idea'. She wants to take me shopping for that new Sony Walkman. After listening to her mediocre explanation of what it is, I agree that we should buy two of them. Down in Center City, there's store after store for electronics. Televisions, radios, yadda yadda.

As we near a electronics store named Roth's, my love and I are distracted by the TV display. Each one is showing the news; the main topic for today is three major world leaders visiting our capital. The President of Brazil, Emperor of Japan, and Her Holiness, the Pope, took the time to sail or fly all the way to Philly. I find it incredible that nations across the globe are even a thing!

After the news cuts to some boring crap, we go inside. It's not too packed in here, since I can only see about five other people shopping. Alexis spots the Walkmans and grabs a couple. I see the price tag on them: One hundred and fifty dollars. I find a wide selection of tapes to choose from.

There's a lot of good musicians and bands on here: Elvis, Tom Jones, Maroon 5, and Beethoven to name a few. The tapes are five bucks a pop, which isn't too bad of a deal. I grab a bag by the front so I can carry fifteen tapes. We go to pay for our stuff, which doesn't take too long. After that, we just take a cab home. Not too much to tell after this since the rest of our day was spent just sitting around. However, as I was watching the ten o'clock news, I heard something that was not good at all.

"The commotion during last night's rugby game proved to be..."she pauses for a moment."Oh, Jesus..."She then clears her throat."Breaking News: New Berlin is under siege by the Midwestern Brotherhood Insurgents. It is unknown how they broke through our border patrol, but reports are certain that dozens are dead already."

The television cuts from the woman's tired looking face to an air shot of downtown New Berlin, which is a farming city. It shows the city courthouse in flames with men and women in green camo power armor torching the surrounding foliage.

Why are they all the way in Pennsylvania? And why are we being attacked?

Alexis walks in with two glasses of sweet tea; she gazes over to the TV, causing her eyes to open wide.

"This isn't a movie, is it?"she asks, sitting down next to me."What's happenin'?"

"Rebels from the Midwest are in Newber."I sigh, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples."World's already gone to Hell once; it doesn't need to end again..."

"It's just some silly band of rebels, hun."she sets the glasses on the coffee table."We'll be fine. People worked too damn hard to just let everything fall."

Before I can give her a proper response, the news is changed to a special announcement by our president. He looks solemn, the bags under his eyes dark.

"People of Pennsylvania, we face a grim reminder that we are not all that safe in the world."He surveys the crowd no one else can see."Despite our walls, fences, soldiers, police officers, and so forth...we are still vulnerable to attacks such as this one. As your president, I have federalized the National Guard of Cameron in order to protect our citizens. I shall not stand for an act of terror against the innocent. God bless the people of New Berlin, and God bless the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

And with cameras flashing, he strides off of stage.


	3. Chapter 3

As I'm downstairs watching a movie, our phone rings, which I answer immediately.

"Hello?"

"Hiya, sweetie. This is your father."

"Oh, hello Dad."I say."How are you?"

"I'm quite fine, honey...you?"he asks.

"Couldn't be better."

"Wonderful. Now, I called you because I want to tell you something."He clears his throat."Pardon me. Me and your mother want to take you and Alexis out to dinner. We asked Peter to come, too."Peter is Alexis's dad, by the way.

"Um, we don't have anything to do, so we're available; I'd love to go and she sure wouldn't deny a good meal. This is tonight?"

"Yeah, yeah. We'll pick you two up at six. I'll see you then. Oh, wear something nice. That goes for Alexis as well."And with that, he hangs up.

The last time we all were together like this was for Peter's birthday last year. He's an amazing guy...though he sometimes seems sad and lonely. I noticed it when me and Alexis left his house after we visited him a few weeks ago; he was staring a picture of his wife and him on their wedding day. On to more uplifting things, I go upstairs to see what Alexis is up to. I open our bedroom door and notice her laying on the bed, reading a book.

"Heya, Lex."I say, walking in and sitting at the foot of the bed.

"What's up?"she asks, shutting the book and putting it on the nightstand.

"We're going to dinner with my parents and your dad tonight. They're picking us up at six."

"Sweet. I love free food."I give her a look of disapproval." _And_ family events."

"Let's just chill until, say, four thirty? We can get ready then."

"Sounds like a plan, my man."

We lay in bed listening to music while cuddling for the next one and a half hour. I made sure to set an alarm so we wouldn't forget. We both get up and stretch.

"Who's getting in the shower first?"I ask. I haven't showered since yesterday.

"Well..."she sings."We could save time and take one together."

I give her a playful wink, then kissing her cheek."Sounds _marvelous_ , hun."

Luckily, our shower is big enough for two. The shower isn't too, um, naughty, but there's a little bit of...touching. After drying off, it takes us forever to find good clothes. I decide to wear a navy blue buttoned shirt with a black pair of jeans. Alexis wears a nice maroon t-shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants. She and I are fashionable.

It's only five fifteen when we're both dressed, except for shoes. We sit downstairs and watch television until six. Television is the perfect time killer and entertainment system...aside from arcade machines. I swear those are the future of technology. We go outside at six o'clock. I make sure our door is locked behind us, because you can never be too careful in today's world. I see my family's black and red carriage driving closer as we walk down our pathway. It stops right it front of our house. The driver steps down from his seat and gets the door for us.

"Thank you kindly."I say as we get into the luxurious carriage. Now, when I say luxurious, I mean nicer than most carriages. I suppose I could've said the nicer than most carriage, but that's too long of a description.

"Evening, girls."Peter says, giving a small wave. He's wearing a dark green sweater and black pants. He sure loves his sweaters during the winter time.

"Hello, Dad."Alexis says, sitting next to him.

I sit next to Alexis."Hello, Mr. Clark."

"I tell you every time, Lynnette, call me Peter. Or Pete. Petey. Whichever you prefer."he says with a small smile.

I smile, too."Sorry. I'm still not used to it."

My mother looks at her watch."I almost thought we wouldn't get here in time. One of the horses was acting funny, but he's alright, thank God."

My mother always wears a dress to events like this. This time, she's wearing a knee length purple dress. She doesn't dig high heels, though. Not too many women do, actually. They're not that popular anymore, so most wear flat pumps. My father is wearing a white buttoned shirt and gray pants. I guess I know where I get my love for buttoned shirts from. Did I mention my parents' names yet? Probably not. My mom's name is Elizabeth and my dad's is Jonathan.

"We left twenty minutes earlier than we were supposed to, darling. We still would've made it."my dad says, trying to assure her.

"I suppose you're right."

The rest of the ride is filled with small talk. A few different conversations take place, but we all stop when we arrive at the restaurant. It's a place called Filipowski's, and it seems like a good place. My mom talked about this place on the ride here, saying that the steak here is superb. My dad reserved us a nice, cushioned booth by a window. A scenic view accompanies it.

"What are we all gonna get?"my mom asks."I'm thinking of the London broil."

I shrug and look at the menu. There are plenty of choices. I decide with getting the Reuben with a side of sweet potato fries. A waiter comes by to take our order. I go with a Dr. Pepper for my drink. Everyone else gets something different than me; they're missing out on a good, hot sandwich. My dad begins telling a story that happened at his work, which is at one of the skyscrapers downtown. He's one of those monkey suit guys that work in a cubicle, only he's one of them that actually enjoy it, unlike some who do it for the paycheck. The gist of the story is that while he was walking out of One Liberty Place, some rambunctious Wastelanders were yelling at each other for some idiotic reason.

Dad says that the reason was one of them knew the other, and the one guy was a rapist who tried to assault his sister. They then started to brawl it out on the streets, causing people to call 911. They almost got hit by the police car. Our drinks arrive at the ending of his tale.

"Some Wastelanders are such savages."That's how he finishes the story."I honestly cannot believe how some of them act like that in such a civilized place. If you wanna argue like that, do it in some dirt town outside of our borders."

"It's the civilized ones that help us build up our cities, John."Peter adds, my dad nodding in agreement."The ones you just described make the good ones look bad."

After that little talk, our food arrives and it smells and looks delicious. This place does not disappoint, as it tastes great, too. Everybody seems to be enjoying their food, as they are no complaints. After we finish, Alexis clears her throat.

"I have something I've been wanting to say to you all, and I find now the best time to do so since we're all here."she says, waiting for everyone to listen in.

"Okay, dear, go ahead."Peter says, seeming concerned. I'm starting to worry myself.

"I'm just gonna put it straightforward."She takes a deep breath."I filled out a form for the Scouting Legion."

My heart drops, and I can see Peter's facial expression, too: Ghostly white, wide eyes, and slightly agape mouth. I don't even bother looking at my parents, I already know they're distraught, too. I wanna bawl my eyes out till the tears run dry.


	4. Chapter 4

"Alexis..."Peter whispers."Why in God's name would you do such a thing?"

"Are you familiar with the idea of Manifest Destiny, Dad? How about Lebensraum? Sound familiar?"she says, her face hardening."Well, I know for certain what they mean. I hear about 'em almost everyday on the telly or radio; people never shut up about how we don't have enough. We want more food, more stuff, more everything! Well, how are we gonna do that without more land, Dad? No one wants to do the work, they only want the benefits. I actually _want_ to do the work!"

"There are others-"

"Those _others_ are barely enough to fulfill the Scouting Legion's recruitment lists! There's supposed to be fifteen hundred new recruits to replace the ones that died, got injured, or the ones who retired after they received their paycheck."Alexis puts her head down."I really wanna do this. I've been tossing this around in my head for way too long now."She sniffles, still looking downward.

Silence follows her words. The dams in my eyes have long since broken; tears now drip from my eyes and stream down my cheeks. I don't know how to feel right now...how could she do something this big without telling me? She and I tell each other everything, and I mean _everything._ We never keep secrets from each other, but apparently Alexis had other plans for this little occasion. She could die out there. I could lose my entire life-my very existence-in just one second.

My dad passes me a napkin, which I am grateful for. My face is wet with salty tears. Alexis looks up at me, and I notice her eyes and face soften. She swallows, and I know what she's feeling right now. Guilt. Guilt for making me, and especially Peter, feel like _complete_ and _utter_ shit because of her lack of communication. Can I really blame her, though? She must've known that a reaction like this would've happened.

Or did she think we'd be all smiles? Did she think we'd be patting her on the back, saying we're proud of her future service?

I'm praying it's the former.

"L-let's pay the bill."Peter says, blinking rapidly. My mom and dad are speechless; haven't said a word.

My dad pulls out a hundred dollar bill. The dinner was eighty, so our waiter is making a hefty tip. Dad doesn't appear care about that at the moment, anyways.

No words are heard on the ride home. The sound of the horse's pulling us along takes over the air, blocking out any other noise. I mutter a quick goodbye as I wait for Alexis to get out of the carriage. I follow behind her. We amble up the walkway, both quiet like a calm, winter day.

Not a second after I enter our house, Alexis wraps her arms around me from behind.

"I'm sorry, Lynn..."My shoulder becomes wet.

I can't be mad at her. There's no way.

"Don't cry."I move us over to the couch, sitting us down. I hug her, being the comforting girlfriend in this situation."Alexis, why didn't you tell me before you..."I choke.

"I...just couldn't. I really, really wanted to, but I got so anxious when I tried to bring it up."she explains, sniffling."Are you pissed at me?"

"Not anymore."I say, kissing her cheek."You mean too much to me."

"I'm sorry."she repeats.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not..."

I swallow."Look, I support your choices, no matter how much they may hurt."

"I feel terrible though, Lynn. I never meant to make you upset."

"Alexis, it's alright. All is forgiven, my love...all is forgiven."I stroke her head, hoping to calm her down."Wanna watch the telly for a distraction?"

She nods, so I turn it on. It's the news.

"The Grand Duchy of Nice has called for Pennsylvania's assistance, saying their troops are not enough for the radicals. They call for an end to the monarchy."

The screen cuts to a view of an old man, wearing elaborate clothing and a crown, standing in front of a podium. His eyes are darkened by bags, and his face white.

"I assure the people of Nice, these rapscallions will _not_ destroy what we've built! As a vassal under the Commonwealth, we can rely on them for protection."

As it cuts to a firefight between our soldiers and the alleged rebels, I change it to TBS. She- _we_ -don't need to see that kind of violence right now.

"Let's, um, go to bed."I say.

"That would be lovely."Alexis replies, holding my hand as we stand up.

We climb the stairs to our comfy bedroom, more than willing to put this day behind us. Under the covers, Alexis holds me like a stuffed animal, snuggling against my shoulder. I don't know who falls asleep first, but that doesn't matter. I have a dream that night.

 _ **I'm in Pittsburgh. Why, I do not know. I'm sitting in an empty cafe, which is bleak and plain. I smell no coffee.**_

 _ **I can't stand up. All I do is blink and look out one of the windows, staring at blank faces speeding by.**_

 _ **"** **Hello, my dear girl."A familiar voice chirps. Winters.**_

 _ **"Can't I have one night without you in my dreams?"I spit, not being able to turn around and stare him down.**_

 _ **"I'm afraid not."he says. I hear his boots meet the floor as he moves towards me.**_

 _ **"What...what do you want now?"**_

 _ **I imagine a creepy smile forming on his face."Only to talk. I can be civil, you know."**_

 _ **He now sits across from me in the booth. Two coffee cups appear in front of us, steam floating upwards.**_

 _ **"I hope it's to your liking."He sips his own."I like mine black."**_

 _ **I carefully sip my cup. It's vanilla flavored, and it doesn't seem to be poisoned or messed with. Buddy Holly starts to play in the background; It's That'll Be The Day. I wait for him to say something else.**_

 _ **"That'll be the day when I die!"He sings along with Buddy...quite badly.**_

 _ **"Is this what you're gonna do?"I ask, becoming annoyed."Sing to me?"**_

 _ **"For now."he chokes. He drank his coffee to fast."I can't enjoy myself?"As soon as the song finishes, he frowns."Such a short, but lovely song."**_

 _ **"He is my favorite musician, so I'm gonna have to agree with you or that."My coffee sits alone, getting colder and colder. It weeps to be drank.**_

 _ **"Want to know somethin'?"he asks."You should go with Alexis."**_

 _ **My body stiffens."Don't you dare bring her into this."I spit.**_

 _ **"Just saying."He snaps his fingers."Wake up."**_

My dream ends, and I am put back into reality where I can be happy. Alexis sleeps, snoring softly and possibly having a pleasant dream; she's smiling in her sleep.

I sigh. I need to come to a decision...I almost hate to word it like this, but should I stay, or should I go? Great songs aside, staying would mean I'm safe, but Alexis wouldn't be. I may never see her again. On the other hand, I can sign up for the Legion and be in mortal danger as well, but Alexis wouldn't be alone. Why is life so complicated? All I wanted in life was to spend my decades being with Alexis...then this came into play, so my dreams are in jeopardy. I rub my temples.

I think and think and think.

I look at Alexis from time to time, thinking about her life being taken away.

A sudden feeling of courage appears, flowing through my veins.

I'll do it.


	5. Chapter 5

I've never sneaked away from Alexis before. I always want to be with her whenever I can; love is a powerful and wonderful feeling.

That's why I gotta go now while I still have the courage I lack most of the time.

Philadelphia is a whole different world at four o'clock in the morning. The sun is somewhat risen, giving the sky an orange glow. Clouds are no where to be seen; birds sit in their trees, resting up for the day to come. My hands sit in my hoodie's pockets, not enjoying the cold air. As I've done a hundred times before, I step on a trolley. There's only, like, two people riding; I can see why, it being four AM.

An ambulance flashes by, swerving around us to go save someone.

Something I always wonder is if the person they're rescuing makes it. Like, what's their story? How does it continue...or end?

Sometimes I can get depressing or whatever when I speak about those sorta things. I don't mean for it to happen, but it does.

I'm a bit of a mess.

City Hall is a breathtaking, pre-war sight. As I stroll towards its grand entrance, I come to realize that _the_ mayor of my city sits in his office. City Council meets _here_ to discuss the city's issues. Hell, the _president_ seldom visits this building! Back to business...

"Um, excuse me, sir?"I ask a clerk. He glances up at me."I'm looking to put in a form for the Scouting Legion."

"Sit roight down o'er there, young miss."He nods to a line of chairs against a wall. Waiting area. Lovely."It'll take a few minutes for a someone to come 'n' see ya."

"Thank you."I say, stepping over to the comfy looking seats.

I sit, one leg over the other, and hands shoved in my pockets. The only other person sitting near me is a guy around my age. Both his legs bounce, his face red.

"You good, buddy?"I ask, concerned. He could pass out!..or kick the bucket...

"Da."he says."Yes, I meant."He shoots me a quick smile."Nervous. Very."

"What're you waiting for? If I'm being too personal, I apologize."

"Oh, no, nothing to apologize for!"he quickly states."I'm, uh...sorry. I only recently learn English."

"It's really good!"I assure."Better than mine, at least."

He chuckles."Ah, now I know you lie!"He rubs his short hair."I'm signing up for the Scouting Legion."

This guy too, eh? Seems the line of work is popular."I'm here for the same thing, pal."

"Really? I hear it takes a lot of...oomph, as you Pennsylvanians say."

"I got the oo, the mm, and the piff."

"I hope so, job not safe for most."He stops bouncing one leg."I'm doing it for the, eh, adventure. Dollars, too."

"Cool, sounds good. I'm doing it for...well, y'see, it's complicated."

"I'm, uh...all ears."He's a real pal.

I explain to him my little predicament. He puts his hand on his chin as to think about it.

"Appears you are...boned either way, my friend."

I can't help but laugh."You right."

"...we haven't learned each other's names yet, have we?"He laughs.

I lean over to him, sticking out my hand."Lynnette."

He returns the gesture."Yuri."

"So...how long've you been in PA?"I ask, wanting to know more about my new friend.

"Not too long. I, um...sailed over here with my family. Big boat. Lot's of people."

"One of those newfound European Boats?"

"I guess so? It, uh...had your symbol on the side. Your flag waved high, too."

"You live close to Bridesburg?"

He shakes his head."We moved to Allentown; much cheaper than Philadelphia."

I exhale a quick laugh."I have some notion."

"It is an incredible city, though."he adds."I felt like I was in a fantasy world when I first arrived."

"Me too, actually. I was born in a Vault, so imagine some underground dweller walkin' out into the sun's rays reflecting off of the steel buildings."

"It must have been-"

The man at the desk calls Yuri over.

He stands up, taking a deep breath."I'll be...seeing you later, Lynnette?"

"Want my house number?"

"I'd be honored."

I walk up to the desk with Yuri, asking for a pen and a sticky note. I write down the digits; luckily, I remember them. He goes off to some office, I assume, and I find myself waiting alone. Sigh. Out of boredom, I start tapping my shoe with two of my fingers; it's like a little guy running.

"Lynnette Wright?"the receptionist calls.

I stand, stretch, and walk on over to him."Yes?"

"Head on back, love. First door on the left."he goes back to his paperwork.

I stroll on over to...I have no idea where. I read door after door. _Department of Housing and Urban Development._ Definitely not it. _Department of Sewage and Water Treatment of the City of Philadelphia._ Jesus Christmas, why so long? _Department of R_ _econnaissance and the Scouting Legion._

There we go! I read the name under the title: _Colonel Stanley P. Benson._ I give a light tap on the door.

"Come in!"a rough voice shouts.

I enter, seeing a middle aged man with the most perfect crew cut and mustache I've ever seen.

"Your name, ma'am?"he asks, not looking at me yet.

"Lynnette. Wright."I quickly add my last name.

"Have a seat, Lynnette."He finally looks up at me."Hmph."His eyes study me; I'm kinda creeped out.

I slowly lower myself into the chair, trying to be as respectful as possible.

"So,"he begins."what's your reason?"

"My...reason?"

"For joining."

Oh, duh! I swallow."Funny story, actually..."

I don't like to lie...I _can't_ lie. I tell him what brings me here, and he raises an eyebrow.

"You're only doing this...for a girl?"he asks, perplexed.

"N-no, not fully."I start tapping my foot."I do have other reasons; I wanna see the world outside, _and_ I am ready to give back to Pennsylvania."

This new response softens his look."Lovebird, explorer, and a patriot? You're an interesting mix, miss."

"Thank you?"

"It is a compliment. It means you're human; no one likes a full blown robot following orders, y'see? We need people who have _morals,_ who have _questions_ about orders. I could find any old Joe or Jane who'll do whatever I say. I don't like that. Sure, I want obedience. But on the other hand, I desire people who will...essentially, not make the Scouting Legion corrupt. That's what makes us different from the Army; full respect towards them, however."

I like this guy."I do have morals, sir."

"Good, good. You're now officially a scout."

"Oh, wow, really?"I ask, thinking it wouldn't be _this_ easy.

"Yeah, of course."He writes something down."Government gives us your background and so on; I just need to know your address for that."

"4760 Copper Street."

"Bridesburg, eh?"he comments."I'm from Fishtown."

"Is it nice?"I've never been there.

"It's Philly; everything's nice here!"

That's true...it is the capital, after all.

"Am I good to go then?"I ask.

"As gold. Should get a letter in the mail when you're accepted. Have a good day."

"You too, sir."I stand up and leave.

Now _that_ was nerve-wracking. I hope to God that Alexis is still asleep; she wouldn't be wondering where the hell I am.

Back to Heaven _or_ Hell then!


	6. Chapter 6

"You did _what_ now?"Alexis asks, her eyelids showing all of her two lovely gems. Not appropriate to, uh, talk about her beauty, I know.

"It's...it's not as bad as you're-"

"It is!"she yells, however her face contorts; she regrets it."I'm sorry for shouting."

"Yeah..."I plop onto the couch, sinking into the cushions."It's my fault anyways..."

"No-don't say that."Alexis sits next to me, grabbing my hand and rubbing my knuckles with the other.

"You hate me?"

"How could you even _think_ that?"she asks, squinting her eyes a bit. She does that a lot."I love you. I have ever since..."

"Since?"

"I can't remember; I feel like I always have."

"That's...cheesy, but really romantic."

"I try."Alexis kisses my cheek."So...we both gotta chance of dyin' now, hm?"

"I mean...when you put it _that_ way..."

"Sorry, bad joke."

"Not one of your best."I relax my shoulders."I hope we end up in the same group or whatever."

"Luck'll be on our side, for sure. Almost always has."

" _Almost."_

"...don't jinx it."

"You just did, too!"I laugh.

"The way your voice just sounded was _adorable._ Can I kiss you?"

"Don't ask! Just _do it."_

She does. Amazingly. Tenderly. Softly. Mmmm...sorry...that, uh, sounded kinda weird.

"Lets...go upstairs."Alexis whispers right into my ear. I melt.

"Carry me."I say, brushing my lips over her neck. She _adores_ that.

"Thy will,"She picks me up bridal style."be done."

Cyndi Lauper should be playing right now, because me and Lex are gonna be having so much _fun,_ if you catch my meaning.

And guess what? You're not gonna be hearing about it, you pervert! I kid, I kid. I'm not comfortable with describing...intimate moments yet. Not only...not only do they bring up some, er, sensations, but I just get too nervous. Maybe some day, I can write about Alexis and I's hot, sexy lovin'. Until then, just go listen to Toto.

Weeks go by; two months to be exact.

A riot broke out right in front of my eyes; men and women calling for the dismantling of the republic attack police.

I'm starting to like the idea of leaving, now.

Lexi wakes me up one morning with a kiss. Best feeling _ever._

I yawn, blinking away the sleep."Wha...what time?"

"Three."

"Seriously? Shite."

"Sorry...I just couldn't sleep for awhile. I wanted to kiss you, so I did."

Fuck; she's so cute! I'm so lucky to have a girl like her...

"Good reason, good reason."I mumble, still exhausted.

"...can I do it again?"

"No!"I kiss her before she responds."There. Now go to sleep; I don't want you being all grumpy in the morning."

"Technically, it is the morning."

" _Technically,_ you can shut up and go the hell to sleep."

"Who's the grumpy one again?"

"Oscar. Please...let's sleep."

"Fine..."Alexis puts her arm around me, nuzzling into my cheek."Better than a teddy bear."She mumbles.

"Like,"I yawn."wise."

Another nightmare creeps up on me...

 ** _CRACK. A gunshot; laser beams go past me. I stand, shaking, with a rifle in my hand._**

 ** _"C'mon, Wright, fire back!"An familiar, yet unknown voice says._**

 ** _I can't. Why? Why can't I?_**

 ** _Dead bodies litter the floor; my heart drops. They all have her face. They're all Lexi._**

 ** _Cackling; guffawing. It's Winters? I never heard him laugh before..._**

 ** _"Look at what we have here."Winters says from behind._**

 ** _I spin around, pointing my rifle right between his stupid eyes."Shut the fuck up, you monster."_**

 ** _"Language, my dear girl!"he says, acting shocked.  
_**

 _ **"I'll kill you right now."**_

 _ **"Will you?...then why haven't you?"**_

 _ **I blink."Thanks for reminding me."**_

 _ **"You're not gonna. You're a coward. A goddamn pussy."**_

 _ **"No...no I'm not!"**_

 _ **"Then pull the trigger, Lynnette!"**_

 _ **It's not his voice; it's my dad's. How can I do it now?**_

 _ **"See? A weakling."My mother's voice now.**_

 _ **"Stop...just stop!"**_

 _ **"You're not good at anything, are you?"My brother's...**_

 _ **I know they would never say that...but still...it hurts. It fucking hurts.**_

 _ **"Leave. Me. Alone."I spit.**_

 _ **"Or?"**_

My eyes shoot open; sweat soaks my skin. Alexis is sound asleep...should I wake her? I gently poke her awake.

"Mmmm..."She grumbles."Ye...yeah?"

I hold her close, my face half in her hair. It smells of lavender.

"Are you okay?"Alexis asks, struggling to look at me. My grip on her is too hard.

"Nightmare."

"Oh, hun, c'mere."

I loosen my grip so she can face me. We eskimo kiss...we do this silently for awhile.

"Are you good now?"

I smile."Thank you."

"Not a problem at all, Lynnette."She plants a smooch on my lips. It's long, and it takes my focus off of getting air.

"I love you..."I breathe.

"And I love you."she whispers, looking directly into me."Your eyes are so pretty."

"As are yours."

She falls asleep, me in her arms. Her...her breasts provide me with ample comfort for my head. I find myself daydreaming before actually sleeping. About what, I forget.

The nightmares don't take over; I find myself walking through fields of flowers, seeing Earth from above, and, strangely, being in Elton John's point of view during one of his shows. One of my best dreams, I think...no, wait, yeah one of the best. Top ten...five.

Alexis wakes up at some point to go make breakfast. When I wake up, I can immediately smell pork roll. Yum! I yawn, stretching at the same time. Downstairs, the morning's warm light shines through our windows. It seems like every morning is like this; aroma of breakfast, soothing sunlight, and a not-so-rude awakening. Hm. That must the one of the privileges of living in the commonwealth.

"Good morning, good morning!"Alexis sings from the kitchen, having heard me come downstairs.

I laugh."We've talked the whole night through!"Singing never was my forte, but I do it anyways. Horribly.

"I don't know the rest, so how'd you sleep, Lynn?"

I shake my head, walking to her. She's busy with food, so I refrain from hugging her.

"I slept alright; no nightmares."

"Now _that's_ some good news."

"How about you?"

She shrugs."Eh, okay, I guess."

"Something happen?"I lean against the door frame-though, there is no door to our kitchen. Hall frame? I don't know.

"Woke up around four. Peed. Then slipped back into bed not being able to sleep."

"Aw, I'm sorry, hun."

"Not your fault!"She nods her head to the left."Go sit down. Food's about to be done."

And so, we eat, talk, and laugh, as we do every morning. It's just so...perfect. Her giggling at my...my rather edgy jokes is sublime; Eddie Murphy's specials help with that. Her dark, black hair, whether in a bun, ponytail, or hanging free, compliments her two emeralds amazingly. I could just _gawk_ at Alexis all day, if I had it my way.

"Do...do you have work today, Lex?"I ask, feeling a tad 'exited'.

"Yeah, why?"

I frowned."Aw...I was hoping to spend some time _in bed_ with you."

She seems to get my meaning, as she smiles."No time for that; so sorry, honey bun."

I fake pout; _half_ faking it, of course...I get my hopes up all too often. Sadly, Alexis leaves for her job, leaving me alone. What to do...what to do...I walk over to one of our bookshelves-yes, _one_ of-and look at the famous titles. _Pride and Prejudice._ Meh, read it twice. _The Three Musketeers._ Read it _thrice..._ heh, nice one me. I can't decide on what to pick; I've probably read every book in this house multiple times. All of Ray Bradbury, Shakespeare, Poe...ugh. This is what I get for being a bookworm.

And then, I finally find something new. _Divina Commedia_. I think back to my many, many, _many_ instances of reading. I shock myself; I've never read the famous work of Dante. I shake my head in shame; I've disgraced myself and everyone I know...How have I not read such an important, and amazing, piece of literature? Even today, it's still praised as one of the best works of all time. The book is...quite thick to the usual; Sir Arthur's is _bigger,_ which sounds highly inappropriate, but I assure you I'm not talking about...length of a rod.

I plot on the couch, a cup of tea waiting to be drank on the table. I spend the next couple of hours reading...I actually just lied to y'all.

I, um, was getting drowsy before I opened the book.

I took a nap.

A long one.

Very. Long.

Alexis shakes me awake."Hey sleepyhead!"she sings, kissing my forehead.

"Wha...what time is it?"I mumble, rubbing the sleep outta my eyes.

"It's five. Now scoot."

I move my legs so Lexi can sit."Jeeze, I slept all day then."I yawn.

"Are you gonna be able to sleep tonight?"Alexis asks, kicking off her shoes.

"Knowing me...yeah."I sit up so I can kiss her.

"I love coming home to you."she says, giving me the widest grin possible.

"I wish you could be home all the time..."I rest my head on my hand.

"Me too, but y'know, we need green."

"Fair point."

Witty banter ensues; laughter escapes my stomach at one of Alexis'...racey jokes. Can't repeat it, too offensive!

Simply put, we decide to watch a movie we haven't seen before; Starship Troopers. I think it's been in the theaters for months now, but it just recently came to HBO. Seems interesting enough; could be bad, could be good.

Then the power goes out. Of fucking course, right?

"Did the..."Alexis starts to say.

"Yeah. Odd."The power _never_ goes out. We're in the capital, for Chrissake!

"You wanna make ou-"She's cut off by my smack. _On_ her arm, don't worry. It wasn't...okay, it was really hard.

"No. This could be serious, Lexi...what if it's the Midwest Rebels?

She scoffs."Rebels? All the way out here? No possible way."

"True, true..."Last I heard, they've been pushed back all the way to West Ohio. Do I believe it? Ya.

All of a sudden, the lights flicker back on; television starts back up. I swear I hear Mr. Kenway yell, "Thank God!" from here...he's only two houses away, after all!

The Emergency Broadcast comes on; a man who I don't know is on screen.

"People of Philly, there is no reason to be alarmed at the sudden power outage. To the best of our knowledge, it was a practical joke played by some hackers. Or, it was a show of power from one of our several enemies. Despite this, y'all have nothing to fear. Stay safe, and have a good night."

Screen cuts back to Starship Troopers; I'm more relieved.

"Crazy times we live in, eh?"Alexis comments, leaning into me.

"If crazy means interesting as well, then yes. Insane times."

"You're so dumb."

"Says you!"I squint my eyes at her."Fucker."

She does the same."Bitch."

We both hold the stare for a bit; She cracks a smile, causing me to laugh.

"Jesus, we haven't done that since Junior Year!"Alexis chuckles.

"Twas a long time ago, indeed..."

"...two years, but sure."

"Y'know, we really should be watching the movie."

"Ehhhh...we can watch it tomorrow. Let's head upstairs."

And so, we do. At home, we're the laziest of the bunch. And by that, I mean of our 'fine, prosperous nation'...was that sarcastic enough for ya? Sure, I'm patriotic...but not _that_ patriotic. I blast some of The Cars while we...y'know, kiss and stuff. That's, uh, our night until we fall asleep, our bodies pressed together.

* * *

 **Wow am I sure late to updating...uh, yeah, I got no excuse except laziness(which isn't one, believe it or not...)and being uninspired to type up this heap of garbage I call a story. So, to those who actually read this thing, thanks for your time! Leave a review if ya want; call it trash, call it God's Word, call it whatever you want.**

 **I'm open to criticism...just don't hate on me, just hate on my terrible skills!...but seriously, if there's room for improvement, let me know. I re-read my stories dozens of times to look for flaws, and I do find some on my own, but since I'm an r-tard, I miss some. So, uh, that's it!**

 **Have a good one!**


End file.
